Martyred Ch Aslam laid to rest with full protocol

KARACHI - The slain police chief of Counter Terrorism Unit Chaudhry Aslam Khan and his two guards, who were killed in the bomb blast by the Taliban, were laid to rest here on Friday. Investigators have unable to ascertain the modus operandi being used by the Taliban to carried out the attack.The funeral prayers of the slain cops were attended by their relatives, politicians, high-ranking officials of various security agencies. The funeral prayers were offered under strict security at the District Police Headquarters Aziz Bhatti. Aslam was laid to rest at Gizri graveyard, his guard Farhan at Shah Muhammad graveyard and another guard Kamran at Korangi graveyard. Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, Karachi Corps Commander Lieutenant General Ijaz Chaudhry, provincial minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, MQM’s Dr Saghir Ahmed, PML-N’s Saleem Zia and other high-ranked police officials were present during the funeral prayers. Later, former president Asif Ali Zardari also visited Aslam’s grave and offered Fateha. The funeral procession avenue was changed from Garden police headquarter to district police headquarter Gulshan-e-Iqbal due to security threats and arrival of high profile personalities. The Sindh Police gave complete protocol and guard of honour to slain and brave SP Khan. Meanwhile, investigators have failed to probe the attack on SP Khan and again looking into the case as an attack was carried out by the suicide bomber or not. Police constituted a three-member committee to probe into the incident headed by DIG Zafar Bukhari. Police found the leg and two hands of a suspect bomber and send the body parts to forensic lab for further investigation. Police source said the investigators got the thumb impression of the suspect bomber and got information of the suspect bomber through Nadra database. Police are also carrying out the DNA test. Police also believed the bomber used the Suzuki pickup that carried some 100 kilogramme explosives. Investigators have found the parts of pickup and also sent parts of the damaged and destroyed vehicles to forensic laboratory for further examination. Police have recorded the statements of eyewitnesses present on the spot at the time of the blast. Earlier investigators believed it was the roadside bombing but the statements appeared in the media revealed that TTP claimed the bombing and clarified that it was a suicide blast. Police officer revealed it was not planned spontaneously as terrorists had been working on the subject for the last two to three months and carried out the attack after complete recce began after the first encounter of Khan at Hub River Road two months ago. Following the incident, TTP emailed The Nation which revealed that the blast was the reaction of Dr Farooq and his other associates’ killing in a fake encounter. The medicolegal report of SP Khan revealed that Khan had survived numerous wounds and a number of bones of Khan were also broken in the attack.Meanwhile, the suspect suicide bomber, who attacked SP Chaudhry Aslam Khan, was identified as an operative of defunct Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. He was a student at a seminary Jamia-e-Rabbania, Qasba Colony, The Nation has learnt. Nadra database revealed the identity of the attacker as Naeemullah, son of Rafiullah Siddique. He was the resident of Bacha Khan Chowk, Pirabad area.Police raided the house of the suspect bomber and arrested some five of his family members, including his father Rafiullah two brothers Ghulamullah and Qari Siddique. Sources said the bomber’s father was a cleric of Jamia Masjid and Maderresa Siddiqiya in Pirabad area. Sources said one of the brothers of the bomber had earlier been killed in an encounter with the police. Investigators took the family members to an undisclosed location for further investigation. They also took the samples of the arrested persons to match the relations through DNA testing. Sources said bomber Naeemullah was associated with Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and later joined hands with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. He got military training in Afghanistan and Waziristan.